FUNDAMENTALS OF MUSIC

MUS 103

Prof. Madelyn Byrne

Office: D-3L, Ext. 2809

Office Hours: Wednesday 2:30 - 6:00

Thursday 11:30 – 1:00

Email: mbyrne@palomar.edu

Textbook:

Rudiments of Music (Fourth Edition) by Robert W. Ottman and Frank D. Mainous.

Published by Prentice-Hall.

Scope of Course:

This course is designed for the beginner and will cover the following areas of music fundamentals:

Reading and understanding music notation (pitch and rhythm)

Developing basic keyboard facility

Aural skills

An introduction to music theory. This will include scales, intervals, major and minor keys, and chords.

Content:

I. The Notational System

a. notes and rests; the grand staff

b. letter names for the piano keyboard

c. other symbols found in Western culture music

II. Rhythm and Meter

a. beat and pulse

b. the organization of music into meter

c. counting music in simple and compound meter

d. establishing meter through aural rhythm

e. writing in the symbol notation of rhythm

f. rhythm and syncopation

III. Sound

a. dynamics

b. articulations

c. the overtone series

IV. Scales

a. half steps and whole steps

b. enharmonic pitches

c. scale types

d. naming scale degrees

e. major and minor scales

f. chromatic scales

g. modes

h. the use of accidentals in the scale

i. aural recognition of scales

V. Intervals

a. major and minor intervals

b. perfect intervals

c. inversion of intervals

d. alteration of intervals

e. compound intervals

VI. Chords

a. triads

b. primary vs. secondary chords

c. major and minor chords

d. augmented and diminished chords

e. inversion of chords

f. dominant seventh chords

VII. Key Signatures

a. the concept of tonality

b. key signature order

c. the circle of fifths

d. the relationship of major and minor key signatures

e. relative and parallel major and minor key signatures

VIII. Transposition

a. diatonic vs. chromatic

IX. Terms and Symbols

a. foreign language words commonly found in music

b. specific musical symbols or notation commonly found in music

Required writing

There will be weekly written homework assignments. Students are also expected to write 2 concert reports on 6 concerts (3 per report) that they have attended this semester.

There will also be frequent quizzes, group projects, and a final exam.

Grading

35% General participation, completion of assignments, and laboratory drills

(Late assignments will be lowered one full letter grade per class session passed due.)

10% Completion of concert reports and concert cards

35% Quizzes

20% Final exam

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8/26 Chapter One

Pitch, Treble and Bass Clefs

8/28 Chapter Two

The Keyboard

9/2 Review Chapters One and Two

9/4 QUIZ on Chapters One and Two

9/9 Chapter Three

Time, note values and Music Pizza

9/11 Chapter Three continued

9/16 Chapter Four

Pitch, Half and Whole steps

9/18 QUIZ on Chapters Three and Four

9/23 Chapter Five

Pitch: Major Scales

9/25 Chapter Six

Major Scales Continued

9/30 Review Chapters Five and Six

10/2 QUIZ on Chapters Five and Six

10/7 Chapter Seven

Time

10/9 Chapter Eight

Divisions of the beat

Simple and compound time

10/14 Chapter Nine

Time continued

10/16 QUIZ on Chapters Seven, Eight, and Nine.

10/21 Chapter Ten

Pitch: Major Scales continued

10/23 Chapter Eleven

Pitch: Major Key Signatures

10/28 Review Chapters Ten and Eleven

10/30 QUIZ on Chapters Ten and Eleven

11/4 Chapter Twelve

Time continued

11/6 Chapter Thirteen

Time continued

11/11 Review Chapters Twelve and Thirteen

11/13 QUIZ on Chapters Twelve and Thirteen

11//18 Chapter Fourteen

Pitch: Minor Scales

11/20 Chapter Fifteen

Pitch: Minor Scales Continued

11/25 Review Chapters Fourteen and Fifteen

12/2 QUIZ on Chapters Fourteen and Fifteen

12/4 Chapter Sixteen

Pitch: Minor Key Signatures

12/9 Chapter Seventeen

Pitch: Major and Minor Key relationships

12/11 Review for Final Exam